Happy birthday to your employees

Do you have time to recognize your employees' birthday? Really, the question should be...do you have time NOT to?



Productivity is directly tied to employee commitment to the organization and its goals.

And commitment comes from employee engagement and feeling of being a significant and essential part of the organization. A valued member of the group or "tribe."

Right now, there's not a lot of money for creating that "belonging" through raises, cash rewards, training trips or other expensive perks. But there is money for a very simple yet very effective tool for drawing employees into the group...honoring each employee's birthday.

Here are some ideas for recognizing an employee birthday;

Send them a card already! (Hey, you knew I would say that! It's in the title, right?) But serious, a personally signed birthday card does a lot to make an employee feel like part of the group! Go funny or serious, but make sure the card is signed by at least the manager or group supervisor. For an even more effective result, pass around the cards for everyone in the work group to sign.

Create and share birthday lists. Create a company-wide birthday list and share it each month. Post it on bulletin boards or e-mail it to all employees. If you have weekly announcements, mention that week's birthday celebrants as part of the announcements.

Allow little celebrations. Allow and even encourage teams to celebrate employee birthdays with cake and beverages. Having your team members sings (albeit off key) Happy Birthday may be slightly embarrassing, yet it goes a long way towards creating a team feeling in each employee.

Business gifts -- little gift, big results

In the August 2008 issue of PPB magazine, Richard Nelson and Rick Ebel reported that U.S. businesses (including nonprofits) spend an amazing $5.59 BILLION a year on promotional gifts.

Of that figure, the overwhelming majority were to thank customers or build goodwill, with new customer prospecting and employee recognition tying for third. Why are businesses spending so much on gifts?

The answer is simple. It works.

Whether it's a coffee mug, a calculator or a water bottle, customers and prospectives like receiving tokens from merchants, don't mind merchant logos or slogans on the gifts and tend to favor businesses who give gifts over those who do not, even if service or quality is equal or better in the non-gifting business!

Employees follow the same pattern. Companies which reward employees with gifts, including desk accessories report higher employee loyalty and higher overall productivity than non-gifting employers.

In the current recession, it may be tempting to jettison the gifts. But research indicates that along with those gifts may go your customers and employees.

Coffee mug anyone?

Employee Appreciation Day is March 6

It's less than a month until Employee Appreciation Day. How are you going to thank the people who keep your company running every day of year?

Here are some easy and inexpensive ways to reward your most precious and irreplaceable resource...your employees!

Send them a card already!

Yes, I know, you knew that was coming. But it's true! For the price of a thank you card or a job well done card, you could inspire your employees to work just a bit harder, to cut the break just a little shorter or to write one less personal e-mail. If they know your message is sincere (and trust me, they WILL know!) you'll be amazed at the effect of that simple message of appreciation.

How about a little gift?

Yes, I know the budget is tight! But without hardworking employees, nothing is going to come in to fill those depleted coffers. So part with a tiny bit of cash and give them a symbol of your thanks and respect for all they do.

Make it fun, too. How about a "Way to go" slinky? For a couple of bucks, each employee will get a piece of their childhood AND a much-needed message of thanks from you! How's that for cheap and effective employee motivation?

Or if chocolate is a better motivator, how about a chocolate bar wrapped in a motivational message? Studies have confirmed that chocolate gives people good feelings similar to falling in love...perfect for increasing good feelings towards the company, too!

Create a crazy awards ceremony

Laughter is a wonderful way to increase employee loyalty, deal with stress and improve morale, so why not throw a wacky awards ceremony on Employee Appreciation Day? Order a package of serious looking award certificates and invite employees to a special ceremony. Keep the silly part under wraps, until the awards are announced, then watch the fun. Appreciation, team building and a cheap morale booster besides? What more could you want?

Using greeting cards to retain customers

There are two ways to build your business:

• Find new customers to buy your products
  
  
• Retain your customers and increase their level of buying

Most business owners lean toward the first, and pour all of their efforts and advertising dollars into finding new customers. Unfortunately, that's probably not your best use of money.

Existing customers can be a goldmine, but one that most businesses ignore! Why? They are viewed as "already on-board." And now it's time to get some more. But in reality, the existing customer is your best resource for new business, especially in tight economic times. Again, why?

1. Existing customers know you and your business. You are a known quantity.
   
   
2. Existing customers are interested in what you sell or offer. The proof? They've already bought some of it!
   
   
3. Existing customers have a history. That means you can look at past sales, buying patterns and product groups. You can also review complaints and returns to see where your existing customers may be having issues with your products or services.

Using existing buyer info to increase sales

Review their buying patterns. Look for seasonal trends, recent increases, decreases or changes in buying. Look for ways to promote add-ons or related products, or to reinforce a positive trends. Look over sales for ways to correct a negative trend. Are they overdue for a tire change or a financial review? Do they always buy travel gear at a certain time of the year, but not related items or services?

Have they had problems with your services or products? Have those issues been resolved to the customer's satisfaction? If not, can you address that now? If yes, can you communicate your appreciation for their loyalty and patience?

Is there an upcoming event or season that fits in with their buying interests? Can you tie a product or service to that event or time period?

Once you've gathered all that information, it's time to use a very simple tool to communicate with these customers...send them a card already!

A simple, inexpensive but well made card. A thank you card. An apology. Or even, if you have the data, a birthday card. Printed with your company's name. But with a handwritten note inside reinforcing the message.

"Sorry about the problems you had with the washer. I'm so glad we were able to fix it for you."

"We're glad to have Fido as part of our pet patient family. Hope to see him in our new state-of-the-art pet spa sometime soon!"

Include a custom advertisement just for them. If your customer has a Ford Mustang, don't send a sale flyer for Chevy Truck parts. Existing customers are people who know you and your business -- and they expect that you know them. Show them they're right with targeted messages.

These customers can be the key to not only staying afloat, but riding on a bigger yacht. Show them you notice them, appreciate them.

Greeting cards for the women at work

It started with very separate roles for men and women. By and large, men inhabited the workplace and women worked at home.

Then it moved towards an ideal of androgyny. Men and women as not only equals, but essentially identical. Gender differences like temperament, management style, pregnancy and childbirth were swept under the proverbial rug of "things we don't want to deal with or even admit are there."

Times have changed. Equality is taken for granted (although it's not a complete reality.) And people are beginning to address the differences, not as good or bad but as unique and potentially valuable. For the very first time, perhaps ever, women are able to succeed without having to pretend they're men in skirts and pantyhose.

So what does this have to do with cards? A lot.

Whether it's a woman choosing the cards, or a woman receiving a card, it's no longer necessary to choose a gender-neutral (or even masculine) card in order to appear "professional."

Does that mean that business greeting card companies need to start making cards embellished with Victorian lace and teddy bears. Not necessarily. But maybe.

It is now okay for women to decorate their offices with decidedly feminine accessories. To admit that working while pregnant is NOT the same as anything the men in the office will ever experience or understand. And that a pretty card is a nice thing to receive.

Another revolution! And one to keep in mind when you're choosing cards for the women at work.

The power of Happy Birthday

These are scary days for employees.

Profits are down, wages are frozen and jobs are vanishing, all while gas prices, food prices and foreclosures are rising.

Every business is looking for ways to save money. But have you considered the value of spending just a little on your employees?

There may not be money in the budget for raises or promotions, but how about something small and simple like a birthday card?

Sending an employee a birthday card does several things.

• First, it lets the employee know that they are noticed as an individual. Unlike company Christmas cards, which are a powerful tool as well, a birthday card is a more personal experience. After all, it's not everyone in the company's birthday on the same day or even in the same month.
  
  
• A simple birthday card, imprinted from the company, then signed by a manager or the whole department, can boost employee morale and team loyalty. The message that we are celebrating your birthday makes an employee know they belong, and that is one of the most powerful tools for increasing morale.
  
  
• A birthday card mailed to the employee's home makes an even greater impact. That extra bit of effort and a postage stamp pays off in huge attitude dividends.
  
  
• Sending a birthday card to an employee's spouse or partner and children costs very little, but can help even further in boosting the feeling of belonging. And when people feel like they belong, they work harder and have fewer accidents -- both benefits that far outweigh the price of a card.

Acknowledging employees can boost your bottom line

In an article published in the Summer 2008 edition of Motivational Strategies, researchers found that businesses with higher levels of employee engagement had more satisfied customers, more sales per square foot of store space, lower turnover and less accidents and injuries than businesses where employees felt unrecognized, unappreciated or replaceable.

So how do you create engagement? Here are some ideas:

Training -- Make sure your employees feel confident in their ability to do their jobs. Lack of training is listed as one of the primary reasons people feel disengaged at work.

Support -- Do your employees have the tools and materials they need to do their job well? Are they comfortable taking risks and trying new things, knowing they have the support of their managers and the company?

Acknowledgment -- Are employee successes taken for granted as "part of their job" or acknowledged with gratitude? If success is celebrated, even if the celebration is as small as a thank you card or a desk award, employees are more likely to put in their full effort and remain engaged in the company.

Variety -- Do employees get to experience a variety of projects, challenges and opportunities? When employees get to stretch their abilities in different tasks and roles, they are more likely to rate their company as a good or excellent place to work. Bored employees perform poorly, have more accidents and treat customers with less respect and enthusiasm.